Part 8 (1/2)

There is nothing worse than a candidate who comes to an interview unprepared. Job hunters who haven't taken the time to research the company appear more interested in themselves than in the challenges of the job. I have seen many people disintegrate before my eyes when a client has asked a question as simple as, ”So besides what David has provided to you, what do you know about our company?”

The Solution

Look at the hiring process from the other side of the desk-from the employer's perspective. Employers want to know that you've gone out and looked at their industry and understand where they're going. Research, research, research-and then match your experience to their needs. Ask yourself, ”What do they need a new hire to provide for them?” Then practice answering typical questions like, ”Why should we hire you?” with answers that show how your skills and experience will solve their problems.

Summary

As a guerrilla job hunter, you now know what you need to avoid doing. The solutions involve common sense and are easy to implement, so don't procrastinate.

THE MOST POWERFUL WAY TO CHANGE YOUR RESULTS

When you realize that the basic aim of every company is to stay in business, you can begin to position yourself as a solution to their need to create and serve the customers who keep them in business, instead of focusing on your need for a job. Most people understand this intellectually but fail to act on it because on the surface it seems too simple an explanation.

”Solution selling” is in vogue all across the United States for a very good reason-it works. In solution selling, you begin by understanding your customer's business and therefore the need for your product to create a solution. You emphasize the benefits that the buyer needs. You know what the buyer needs because you have researched the company to discover its ”pain points.”

When salespeople focus on solution selling, they increase the value of their products and services because their product is not viewed as just another list of features like those of every compet.i.tor. As a job hunter, you increase your value exponentially when you focus on the employer's needs.

For example, 2 equally qualified accountants apply for a job in the accounting department of a growing company. Job hunter A researches the company and discovers the company plans to do an initial public offering. In his cover letter and resume, he emphasizes his experience with publicly traded companies. Job hunter B, who is equally qualified, sends in a standard cover letter and resume.

Job hunter A gets the call, and in the interview discusses the company's needs against the backdrop of his experience. The results are predictable-job hunter A gets hired and job hunter B is never even considered.

Job hunting can actually be that simple, yet all too many job hunters, even those adept at marketing, focus on their needs and not the employer's. Think about what you have to offer the company in light of its ability to serve its customers and grow.

THE THREE RS OF SUCCESSFUL JOB HUNTING

In grade school, we learned the Three Rs-Reading, wRriting, and aRithmetic. Those were our most important lessons [okay, so I'm dating myself here]. For job hunters, Research, Relevancy, and Resiliency will result in an interview.

Research

As a job hunter, you need to research and determine: * Which are your marketable skills?* Which industries/companies should you target that use those skills?* What are the specific needs of each company in your target market?* Who is in a position to hire you in those companies?* What is the best way to approach them?

Your research will determine the way you approach people. We talk more about research later in the book.

Relevancy

Your offer (skills) must fit their needs. It has to solve the employer's issues, not yours. It is not about you. At the core, employers only want to know 3 things about you: 1. Can you make me money?2. Can you save me money?3. Can you increase our efficiencies?

As global compet.i.tiveness increases, employers will be looking for all three. Later in the book, we show you how to express your relevancy-value-to an employer.

Resiliency

Resiliency is the ability to spring back from disappointment and keep moving forward. This is the quality that keeps guerrillas focused on their goals and driving forward. Adopt a positive mindset no matter what. Guerrillas always look for the positives even when people and events are clearly indicating they should not.

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A WAR STORY.